February 23, 2016

Review: Lumberjanes, Vol. 2: Friendship to the Max

I do like this, but I didn't like it as much as the first volume. Perhaps some of the novelty has worn off, but it seems to me that this book is not quite as clever or fun as the first. Our five Lumberjanes return, and the focus this time around is April, Mal and Molly (with a hint of romance between the latter two). The storyline from the first volume is wrapped up, which is possibly why I'm feeling a bit disappointed: the reveal of Apollo and Artemis as two spoiled brats fighting over power from a total solar eclipse just didn't click with me, I suppose.

Also, I felt that the first volume appealed as much to adults as its target tween audience. There were a lot of edgy jokes and subversive humor that would fly right over the head of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old. That wasn't really the case here, unfortunately.

Don't get me wrong: it's still worth reading, and the theme of "Friendship to the Max" is a worthy one. But the first volume has a sense of wonder about it that didn't seem to carry over this time around.